375HH mag or 375 ultramag?

If your friend can get access to rifles in those two calibers, I would suggest a trip to the range to shoot from field positions. I have not fired the 375 RUM but I have a 375 H&H and the recoil is not bad at all from field positions. I would not want to shoot some of the Remington SPS stainless 375 RUM's I have seen as they are indeed light weight. Either round should make dead critters as far as you can make a good shot. I have some 300 gr Partitions for mine just in case I ever get to hunt anything big.

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The critters have to win every time, I only have to win once.

I'm a new member, so if I make a wrong statement, I apologize. 375H&H is a fantastic cartridge, but unless you're a guide, it is not required for North American hunt. In Africa, law requires that you use .375 caliber or larger for the big 5, and needed for hippo. If you're hunting brown bear in Alaska and are nonresident, I believe that you need a registered guide. His license will be at stake, and he will not allow you to get into risky situation When you have an experienced guide to back you up, you will be calm and focus with the shooting. I've never found bears difficult to knock down quickly with the first shot. Just my experience, I think that elk can be tougher to kill. I think that 300 win mag and up would be entirely adequate for bear in Alaska and Yukon.

Now for Africa. The PH will most likely get you within 200 yards for the big 5, may be 300 yards for cape buff. Again, 375H&H will be suffucient at these ranges. 375 UltraMag is not required. In fact, I would choose 416 Rem over .375 Ultra Mag. Again, this is just my opinion.

I have the 375 Ultra Mag and can tell you this caliber will shoot! I have been handloading 235 grain barnes triple shock bullets in it and they shoot right at about an inch group at 100 yards. I have not had the opportunity to shoot anything larger than a deer with it but it performed flawlessly. Before anyone jumps on the overkill bandwagon. I was elk hunting and the deer happened to be in the wrong place at the right time. The ballistics for the 235 grain bullet are impressive out of this gun. The loads I am currently shooting are right at about 3200 FPS. I am 2.5 inches high at 100 yard and just a touch low at 300. I do honestly believe that this gun with this bullet could easily be shot out to 400 maybe even 500 yards. I do not know if Berger makes the hunting VLD for this caliber but I am sure it would work great as well.

I have fired the 375 ultra and the recoil was punishing in the model 700 rifle. I would not recommend it in a sub 10 LBS rifle. If you do not reload and want more power than the 375 H&H offer try the Hornady Heavy Mags. More power than needed for anything in NA for sure.

I would agree with 3006Savage on the recoil being heavy, but any 375 has heavy recoil. I do own the 700 in the xcr with the sims vibration recoil pad and I do not think it is severe. I guess I wouls say that if you're recoil sensitive neither the 375 H & H or the 375 Ultramag are your cup of tea.

I'm a new member, so if I make a wrong statement, I apologize. 375H&H is a fantastic cartridge, but unless you're a guide, it is not required for North American hunt. In Africa, law requires that you use .375 caliber or larger for the big 5, and needed for hippo. If you're hunting brown bear in Alaska and are nonresident, I believe that you need a registered guide. His license will be at stake, and he will not allow you to get into risky situation When you have an experienced guide to back you up, you will be calm and focus with the shooting. I've never found bears difficult to knock down quickly with the first shot. Just my experience, I think that elk can be tougher to kill. I think that 300 win mag and up would be entirely adequate for bear in Alaska and Yukon.

Now for Africa. The PH will most likely get you within 200 yards for the big 5, may be 300 yards for cape buff. Again, 375H&H will be suffucient at these ranges. 375 UltraMag is not required. In fact, I would choose 416 Rem over .375 Ultra Mag. Again, this is just my opinion.

I'm also new here...but even though I'm gonna disagree a little with you. Regardless of what a guide was carrying I wouldn't hunt the big bears with the 300 win mag. I'd at least step up to the 338 and probably the 375 H&H. I'd rather be overgunned a little on a big bear and I'm certainly not depending on someone else to stop something big and ticked off that I couldn't handle. Just my .02